Meter box lid and lock therefor



Sept. 22, 1931. .P. M AFEE 2 METER BOX LID AND LOCK THEREF OR Filed May5, 1950 f H Z z "u I I I l ll 1 I/I'IM 7 n .1, 3] 1 INVENTOR PAUL MQ IFATTORNEY Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAULMCAEEE, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR T DALLAS FOUNDRY, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, ACORPORATION OF TEXAS METER BOX LID AND LOCK THEREFOR Application filedMay 5, 1930. Serial No. 449,841.

My invention relates to meter box lids and locks therefor and moreparticularly to meter box lids which have openings for inspectionpurposes without raising the en- 3 tire lid; and the object is toprovide a meter box lid which is convenient in operation and which canbe economically manufactured and which is eflicient in use and easilyand quickly adjusted to a meter box. Another advantage is that theentire lid need not be removed for the meter reader. In reading meters,the inspector simply uses a key and throws the small supplemental doorand reads the meter without removing the main lid. Other objects andadvantages will be fully explained in the following description and theinvention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of thisapplica tion.

Fig. 1 is an inverted plan view of the improved meter box lid and theimprovements.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a key for the 5 lid and lock. V

Fig. 3 is an edge view of a lid and a section of the meter rim.

Fig. 4 is a broken inverted view, showing the lid in unlocked position.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same partsthroughout the several views.

The drawings show a lid 1 of a meter box. This lid 1 is adapted to reston the rim 2 of a meter box. The lid 1 has a lug 3 on one edge forcatching under the rim 2 of the meter box for locking the lid down onone side of the meter box. A plunger 4 is provided for locking theopposite side of the 4 lid. The plunger 4 is projected under the rim 2for locking purposes. Theplunger 4 is guided by a depending rib 5through which the plunger 1 moves and the plunger is further guided by adepending lug 6 through which the plunger moves. The plunger 4 isprevented from rocking by a raised rib 7 on which the plunger brushes inits reciprocal motion. The rib 7 is integral with the lid 1. The plunger4 has a relatively large opening therethrough forming a loop for thelocking mechanism is provide key 8. The key 8 moves the plunger by meansof the inner walls of the opening through the plunger. The key 8 unlocksthe lid by bearing against the wall 9 and locks the plunger by bearingagainst the wall 10 when the key is turned. A su plemental d fiirholding the plunger 4 in operative or locked position. The key-8 strikesthe pivoted block 11 substantially at the point 12. s The block 11 has,a stop 13 and a looped spring 14 is fixedl caught in a lug 15 which isintegral witi the lid 1. V The spring 14 holds the stop 13 against ashoulder 16 on the plunger .4. The plunger 4 is held lockeduntil thestop 13 is moved away from shoulder 16 oftheplunger. lVhen the key isused to unlock the lid, .thekey must first push against curved surface12. This will move the stop 13 away from shoulder 16. On further turningthe key 8 will strike the inner wall surface 9 of the plunger loop. Thiswill move the plunger to unlock the lid 1. The plunger 4 will then bebrought to the position shown in Fig. 4.

The lid 1 is provided with a door 17 which is hinged to the lid 1. Anopening 18 is made in the lid 1 and the door 17 closes the opening. Aslotted lug 19 is formed integral with the door 17. The plunger 4 has alug 2O turned at right angles to the plunger. This lug 20 projects inthe slot of lug 19. When the lid 1 is unlocked the door 20 will bebrought to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 so that the metercan be read without removing the lid 1 from the meter box. The door 20is thus automatically opened when the lid 1 is unlocked. When the lid 1is to be locked the key 8 is turned in the opposite direction. Thepivoted locking block 12 has been pushed to the position shown in Fig.4. The key will engage the inner wall 10 and force the plunger to lockedposition. The spring 14 will cause the stop 13 to snap behind theshoulder 16 and thus lock the plunger 4 in looking position.

What I claim, is,

1. In a meter box provided with a rim and a cover therefor; said coverhaving a door opening and a keyhole, a door hingedly con- 100 QSthdayofApril, 1930.

nected to said cover for closing said opening, a slotted lug integralwith said cover, a keyoperated plunger slidably connected to the underside of said cover and provided with a key loop, and a lug formed onsaid plunger and projecting into said slotted lug for simultaneouslyopening said door while said cover is being unlocked and for closingsaid door while said cover is rim. 7

2. In a meter box providedwith a rim and a cover therefor; said coverhaving a door opening and a keyhole therethrough, a door hingedlyconnected to said 'cover'forclosing said opening, a slotted lug integralwith said doorpa'key operate'd plunger slidably connec'tedwith theunderside-of said cover and'proyided witha key loop,-me'ans forantomatically locking said plunger in the locked position, and "a lugformed on said plungerand projecting into said slotted lug forsimultaneously opening said door while saidfcover is beingunlockedandifor simultaneously closing said door whilesaid cover isbeinglock'ed to said'rim.

3. In a-meter boxi'provided with a rim and acover therefor, door.hingedly connected to said cover for inspectionxpurposes, saidcoverfhaving a'door opening anda keyhole the'rethrough and havingdepending ribs, a key o'perated plunger slidablyi connected with saidcover and'operating through said ribs and provided with akeyloop,me'an's for automatically locking said plunger in the locked'position,'and means operatively connecting said plunger andsaiddoortorsin'iultaneously opening and closing said door with the unlocking'andlockingihovement of said plunger. I

, In testimony whereof, I set my hand, this PAUL MOAFEE.

being locked to said 7

